Trends in Literacy Rates and Schooling among the

Scheduled Tribe Women in India

*Aparna Mitra and Pooja Singh

*Direct all correspondence to:

Aparna Mitra
Assistant Professor
Department of Economics
University of Oklahoma
729 Elm Avenue, 329 Hester Hall
Norman, OK 73019
U.S.A.
Phone: (405) 325-5859
Fax: (405) 325-4849
 Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to highlight the differences in literacy and
schooling attainment among the Scheduled Tribe women in India.

Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses data from the Census of India,

Department of Education in India, and National Human Development Report prepared by
the Government of India.

Findings – The high status of women among the tribal groups in the northeastern states
has important effects on the literacy rates, enrollment ratios and dropout rates of girls in
that region. High poverty rates pose to be significant obstacles in attaining literacy and
education among tribal women in India. However, large differences in literacy rates in
the various states in India show that social and cultural norms, proximity to the
mainstream Hindu culture, and the role of women are also important determinants in
achieving literacy among tribal women.

Originality/value of paper – Literacy is considered to be an important tool for

improving the status of women among the Scheduled Tribes. Aggregate statistics often
paint a dismal picture of the low literacy rates and schooling among the Scheduled Tribe
women. This paper shows that such statistics fail to capture the different trends in
literacy rates and value placed in schooling among the various tribal groups in India.
Differences in economic, social, and cultural backgrounds among the various tribes need
to be emphasized in order to understand the differential nature of investments in literacy
rates and schooling among tribal women in India.

Article Type: Research paper

Keyword(s): Schedule Tribes, Literacy and Gender Development, Gender
discrimination.

1
I. Introduction

The Scheduled Tribe population represents one of the most economically

impoverished and marginalized groups in India. Although Scheduled Tribes are a

minority, they constitute about 8.2 % of the total population in India (Census of India,

2001), or 85 million people in absolute number. The Scheduled Tribes are not

discriminated against in the same way by the mainstream Hindu population as the

Scheduled Caste population in India. While the latter group belongs to the lowest

hierarchy of social order and is often considered impure or unclean, the Scheduled Tribes

have, for the most part, been socially distanced and living outside the mainstream Hindu

society. The areas inhabited by the tribal population constitute a significant part of the

underdeveloped areas of the country. About 93% of the tribal people live in rural areas

(Census of India, 1981) and are engaged in agricultural pursuits.

There are more than 400 tribal groups among the scheduled tribe population, each

with their distinct cultures, social practices, religions, dialects, and occupations. Thus,

the different tribal groups are highly heterogeneous, and their differences are a function

of the environment in which they live, the degree of exposure to the mainstream Hindu

population, government involvement in their daily lives, their economic status, and past

history. The tribes are scattered in all States and Union Territories in India except for the

states of Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, and Chandigarh. The tribes are heavily concentrated in

the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Nagaland

although they constitute a small percentage of the total tribal population in India.

2
 Literacy and educational attainment are powerful indicators of social and

economic development among the backward groups in India. During the British rule

there was no organized method to educate the tribal communities except for the work

undertaken by Christian missionary organizations in some regions in India. Currently,

the tribes lag behind not only the general population but also the Scheduled Caste

population in literacy and educational attainment. This disparity is even more marked

among Scheduled Tribe women, who have the lowest literacy rates in the country

(Maharatna, 2005). The male-female gap in literacy and educational attainment among

the scheduled tribes is significant although this is a common trend among both the

Scheduled Castes and the general population. This trend reflects the social and cultural

trends and degrees of gender inequality in India.

This study attempts to describe the literacy and educational attainment of tribal

women by focusing on factors such as literacy rates, gross enrollment ratio, and drop out

rates of tribal women. While the overall literacy rates and educational attainment of

tribal women are significantly lower than the national average, this study will show that

there are vast differences in human capital attainment among tribal women in the

different regions of India. The tribal literacy rate among women is significantly higher in

the northeastern states such as Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Nagaland, where tribal groups

constitute a large percent of the general population. On the other hand, tribal literacy

rates are much lower in the states of Rajasthan, Orissa, and Madhya Pradesh. In these

states the tribal population constitutes a small percent of the total population although

they represent a very large proportion of the total tribal population. Thus, general

statistics that portray the dismal state of education and literacy among tribal groups

3
ignore important demographic, social, cultural, and economic differences among the

various tribal groups. Such differences are crucial in understanding the differential

literacy rates and human capital attainment of tribal women in India and should form the

basis for appropriate policymaking.

In the following section we will incorporate a brief background of the tribal

population in India. In section III, we will discuss some factors contributing to the

generally low literacy rates and educational attainment of tribal women. In section IV,

we will incorporate some current statistics showing the literacy rates, gross enrollment

ratios, and drop out rates of the tribal population. We will supplement the statistics with

some discussions of the social and cultural trends among the tribal groups in order to

understand the differential nature of literacy and educational attainment among tribal

women. Finally, section V contains our conclusions and policy implications.

II. Who are the Scheduled Tribes?

Scheduled Tribes in India are generally considered to be ‘Adivasis,’ meaning

indigenous people or original inhabitants of the country. The tribes have been confined

to low status and are often physically and socially isolated instead of being absorbed in

the mainstream Hindu population. Psychologically, the Scheduled Tribes often

experience passive indifference that may take the form of exclusion from educational

opportunities, social participation, and access to their own land. All tribal communities

are not alike. They are products of different historical and social conditions. They belong

to different racial stocks and religious backgrounds and speak different dialects. As a

result of being distanced by the Hindu population, many tribes have retained their social,

4
religious, and cultural practices, as well as their distinctive languages. Discrimination

against women, occupational differentiation, and emphasis on status and hierarchical

social ordering that characterize the predominant Hindu culture are generally absent

among the tribal groups. Though there was trade between the Adivasis and the

mainstream society, any form of social intercourse between the two groups was

discouraged by the Hindus. Adivasis are not as a general rule regarded as unclean or

polluted in the same way as the Scheduled Caste population is perceived by the

mainstream Hindus. However, the mainstream Hindu population considers the general

tribal population as primitive, technologically backward, and illiterate. Since the 16th

century, the tribes have been perceived as sub-humans who live under primitive

conditions (Xaxa, 2005). They have often been portrayed as “daityas,” “rakshasas”

(demons), and “vanaras” (monkeys) in Indian epics.

The tribal population constitutes a majority in the northeastern states of Mizoram

(94.5%), Meghalaya (85.9%), and Nagaland (89.1%). Tribal men and women in

Mizoram, Meghalaya and Nagaland are isolated from the mainstream Hindu population

and their cultures and practices. Although tribes comprise a large proportion of the total

population in the northeastern states, they account for a small (12%) percent of the tribal

population in India. Numerically, the tribal population is very high in the central state of

Madhya Pradesh and the western states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra.

Together the four states account for about 50% of the total tribal population in India.

However, in these states tribes constitute a small percent of the total Hindu population

(Census of India, 2001).

5
 Due to the lack of exposure to the mainstream Hindu population, the tribes in

northeastern India have not been influenced or pressured to adopt Hindu social and

cultural practices and have maintained their heritage and social practices. On the other

hand, many tribes in central and western India who are in close proximity to the

mainstream population have adopted many Hindu practices in order to be accepted by the

higher caste population. Differences in tribal religions also affect their educational

attainment and attitudes towards female literacy. The vast majority of the tribal

population in Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Nagaland are Christians. Christian missionaries

encouraged the tribal population in these states to pursue education and emphasized the

importance of becoming literate. On the other hand, the literacy rates among the Hindu

and Muslim population in India are relatively lower. The vast majority of the tribes in

central and western India are Hindus.

III. Literacy Trends among Tribal Women

Literacy is an important indicator of development among tribal groups. Among

women in general, high literacy rates lead to lower infant mortality rates (Kingdon, 1999;

World Bank, 1997), reduce the number of pregnancies and enhance the status of women

both in domestic life and society. Additionally, the mother’s literacy status and

educational attainment have significantly positive effects on the child’s human capital

attainment (Sengupta and Guha, 2002; Colclough, 1982).

During the post-Independence period, the Indian government implemented

legislation and allocated funds to facilitate access to enrollment in primary education

(grades I-V) in India. As a result, both literacy rates and gross enrollment ratios of boys

6
and girls across the general population have increased substantially during the past 50

years. The tribal population, in general, lags behind the Hindus and the Scheduled Caste

population both in literacy and educational attainment. This discrepancy in human

capital attainment between the mainstream population and the tribes is particularly

marked among tribal women. However, the literacy rates for scheduled tribes in India

have also improved substantially from 1961 (8.54%) to 1991 (29.60%) for both males

(13.83% to 40.65%) and females (3.16% to 18.19%) respectively as shown in Table I.

“take in Table I”

Factors contributing to the low literacy rates among tribal women in India

Socio-economic factors contribute significantly to disparities in literacy and

educational attainment among women in rural and urban areas. The Scheduled Caste and

Scheduled Tribe population have been discriminated against and confined to the lowest

rungs of social and economic hierarchies. As Dreze pointed out, “educational disparities,

which contribute a great deal to the persistence of massive inequalities in Indian society,

also largely derive from more fundamental inequalities such as those of class, caste and

gender,” (Dreze, 2003: 982). High poverty rates and dependence on agriculture call for

increasing rates of child labor force participation among many of the tribes in India. The

tribal dropout rate is extremely high relative to the mainstream population. Children

often enroll in primary education and then drop out of school in order to help the family.

This applies more to females than males both among the mainstream Hindu population

and the tribal groups because girls are expected to help out with domestic chores more

than boys at a very early age (Nambissan, 2000; Vasavi 2002; Jha and Jhingran, 2002).

7
 Traditionally, the Hindu society has demonstrated its preference for sons and has

treated boys and girls differently based on social and cultural norms. Parents often

allocate their scarce resources towards the schooling of their sons. For the poorer

sections of the population, it is worthwhile investing in the son’s education, as that would

generate income for the family in the future. Daughters are expected to get married early,

and parents have to save money for dowry payments. Further, parents do not want to

invest in their daughters’ schooling because the latter have limited labor market

opportunities and earning potential (Sathar and Lloyd, 1994). For the poorer sections of

the Indian community, education for girls is often considered to be a consumption good

rather than an investment good. This perception is partly justified in light of the poor

labor market prospects for women in many states and especially in rural areas. This leads

to a significant gender gap in investment in education in India although recent trends

show that wealthy and educated families in urban areas are allocating resources equally

between their sons and daughters.

The tribal society in general is characterized by lack of discrimination against

women, and tribal women participate in all spheres of economic and social lives. This is

particularly true among the matrilineal tribal groups in the northeastern states of

Mizoram, Nagaland, and Meghalaya. Unlike Hindus, most tribal societies value girls, as

shown by the high female sex ratio (females per 1000 males) among the vast majority of

tribes in India (Census of India, 2001). The negative relationship between poverty and

literacy attainment can often be overcome if women are considered to be an important

part of society and if the social and cultural norms are in favor of women’s human capital

attainment.

8
 Some unique obstacles faced by tribal women in addition to the high poverty rates

are insufficient numbers of schools in many tribal areas, lack of resources in tribal

schools, significant language barriers in schools where the teachers are not fluent in tribal

languages (Srivastava, 1997), and the problems in social adjustment faced by many tribal

boys and girls who are often discriminated against by upper-caste children.

IV. Literacy Attainment of Tribal Women by Different States in India

Table II shows the literacy rates among the Scheduled Tribe men and women for

selected states in India for 2001. The literacy rates among the tribes are shown separately

for rural and urban males and females. Table II demonstrates that the literacy rate among

the scheduled tribes in India varies significantly by different regions and states. These

variations are a function of the differences in economic, social, cultural, religious, and

demographic characteristics of the different tribes and their exposure to the forces of

modernization, urbanization, and industrialization.

“take in Table II”

Among the Scheduled Tribe population, the literacy rate is highest in the state of

Mizoram in northeastern India (86.95%), and the disparity in literacy between males and

females is about 4%. The female literacy rate is lowest in the states of Bihar (15.54%),

followed by Orissa (23.37%) in eastern India, Rajasthan (26.16%) in northern India, Uttar

Pradesh (20.70%) in northern India, and Andhra Pradesh (26.11%) in south India.

The tribes in the northeastern state of Mizoram had the highest overall literacy

rates for both males (91.71%) and females (86.95%) whereas the state of Bihar in eastern

9
India had the lowest literacy rates for males (39.76%) and females (15.54%). The literacy

rates among urban females was the highest in Mizoram (96.01%) followed by Nagaland

(85.60%). It was the lowest in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh (39.54%). Among the

rural population, the female literacy rate was the highest in Mizoram (77.71%) and

lowest in the eastern state of Bihar (13.30%).

In rural areas, the demand for education among the poorer sections of the

population is much lower than it is in urban areas. Poor women in rural areas have to

work in order to cope with their daily living and do not place a high value on education

unless it is linked to vocational training. Additionally, in remote rural areas where a good

infrastructure is lacking, tribal women find it difficult to have access to schools. Many

are not even aware of the existence of schools in their areas due to lack of

communications and networks. The northeastern states of Mizoram, Nagaland, and

Meghalaya show high literacy rates even among women in rural areas, along with

Himachal Pradesh in north India and Kerala in south India. The rural literacy rate is

highest (77.71%) in Mizoram.

All the states listed in table II show significant gender gaps in literacy rates except

for the state of Mizoram where tribal women in urban areas have higher literacy rates

than men. The literacy rates among tribal women in the states of Mizoram, Nagaland,

and Meghalaya far surpass the average literacy rates among all Scheduled Tribes in India.

The literacy rate among tribal women in urban areas in Mizoram is the highest in the

country and even surpasses the literacy rates of tribal urban women in Kerala, which is

considered to be a model state in literacy rates of women in the country. Some contend

10
that since the northeastern states are isolated and not exposed to the social and cultural

norms of the Hindu population, the former do not follow the common trend of

downplaying the importance of literacy attainment among girls. Thus the “convergence

effect” of following (Dreze and Sen, 2002: 244) the mainstream norm of encouraging

gender inequality in education is absent among the tribal women in some of the

northeastern states of India. The influence of Christianity in the northeastern states also

played a significant role in encouraging high literacy rates among tribal women.

Conversely, in the central state of Madhya Pradesh and the western states of

Gujarat and Rajasthan, as well as the eastern states of Bihar, Orissa, and West Bengal,

female literacy rate is significantly lower than in the northeastern states. Unlike the

northeastern states, the tribal population in the central, eastern, and western states

constitutes a minority as a percentage of the total Hindu population. In these states, tribal

groups are regularly exposed to the social and cultural practices of the mainstream

Hindus and their discriminatory practices against women. Many scheduled tribes imitate

the practices and traditions of Hindus in order to gain acceptance in larger society.

Next to the northeastern states, the state of Kerala shows relatively high literacy

rates among tribal women in urban areas. Kerala ranks the highest in the country in

terms of women’s literacy rates and gender development index. Although the tribal

population is very small in Kerala, their exposure to the general trend of high female

literacy rates in the state and the high status of women in Kerala may have partially

contributed to the high literacy rates among tribal women.

11
Gross Enrollment Ratio and Drop-out Rates for Scheduled Tribes in India

Gross enrollment ratio (GER) is the number of students enrolled in different

levels of education (whether or not they belong in the relevant age group for that level),

as a percentage of the population in the relevant age group for that level.

“take in Table III”

Table III shows the gross enrollment ratio for the Scheduled Tribe population for

grades I-V and VI-VIII for 2002-2003. In general, we find that as the level of education

increases, the GER decreases for both boys and girls. This clearly demonstrates that

poverty is a significant deterrent to enrollment as both boys and girls are needed in

household and family work, and families cannot afford to send their children to schools

because these families do not have the economic resources. It is also interesting to note

that the GER of boys and girls are comparable in classes I-IV but the gender gap

increases significantly with higher levels of education. This may be indicative of the

conservative social fabric of the Hindu society, where girls are expected to get married

early and boys are given preference over girls in a family’s decision to allocate resources

for their children’s education.

We find that the northeastern states show a different trend in GER of girls and

boys than some of the other states in India. In the northeastern state of Meghalaya, the

GER of girls is higher than boys in both levels of schooling. In Mizoram, the GER of

girls is higher than boys in classes I-V and comparable in grades VI-VIII. In Nagaland,

more girls than boys are enrolled in classes VI-VIII. The GER for tribal girls in Mizoram

in both classes I-V and VI-VIII far surpasses the GER for girls in the general population

in both categories.

12
 In contrast to the northeastern states, the eastern state of Bihar shows a dismal

picture. Here, the enrollment ratio for girls in higher levels of education is only 8.53%

for the tribal population and 18.77% for the general population. Orissa and West Bengal

also show a low GER for girls in classes VI-VIII among tribal women.

The state of Kerala in South India shows a very high GER for girls in higher

classes both among tribal women and the general population. Kerala is an outlier in India

in terms of its literacy and educational attainment of women, and clearly this has a

spillover effect among other groups of population.

In general, table III shows that there are vast differences in the enrollment patterns

of tribal women across the different states in India. Some of the differences can be

attributed to poverty and lack of resources among various tribal groups; however other

factors such as the social and cultural fabric of the society and the status of women

among various tribal groups also account for the differentials in the enrollment patterns

of women in some states.

C. Drop out Rates among Scheduled Tribe Women

Table IV shows the dropout rates for the tribal population for 2002-2003. The

dropout rates for both boys and girls increase sharply as their educational level increases.

Among the general population, the drop out rate in classes I-V during 2002-2003 was

35.85% among boys, while it was 33.72% among girls. Among all tribal groups, the

dropout rate in classes I-V was 41.13% among boys and 41.91% among girls. At lower

levels of education when the children are relatively young, there is no significant gender

discrepancy in the dropout rates among all groups. However, as the level of education

increases, the gender gap becomes much more pronounced among the tribal groups. The

13
dropout rate among tribal boys in classes 1-VIII is 66.86% while it is 71.17% among

girls. The dropout rate among boys in the general population is 50.82%, while it is

52.10% among girls.

“take in Table IV”

The high costs of providing education and the need for children to work

contribute to the high dropout rates in higher levels of education. This is particularly true

for girls as poor families with limited resources would rather invest money in their son’s

education rather than in their daughter’s education for reasons discussed earlier. While

education at the lower level is free, there are other costs, including books and learning

materials, which impose a significant financial burden on low-income tribal families

(Ramachandran 2003). Thus, the supply of human capital is constrained by poverty, lack

of resources, shortage of schools, inadequate infrastructure, and low emphasis on

education, especially in rural areas. The demand side of the labor market also has a

feedback effect on the investment decisions of tribal groups in education. The vast

majority of Scheduled Tribes rely on agriculture and forestry for their livelihood, and few

are employed in skilled jobs.

Table IV demonstrates a great deal of variation in the tribal dropout rates in the

different states in India. The gender discrepancy in the dropout rate is relatively lower in

the northeastern states of Mizoram, Nagaland, and Meghalaya. The dropout rate among

tribal girls in classes I-VIII is the lowest in the states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttar

Pradesh in northern India, followed by Kerala in south India and Nagaland in

northeastern India. Interestingly enough, the dropout rates among tribal girls in the above

14
states are far below the national average among the general population in this category

(53.45%).

Poverty and Human Capital Attainment among Tribal Women

Poverty is an important factor contributing to the low literacy rates, low GER, and

high dropout rates among the Scheduled Tribe population in general. Table V shows the

human poverty index and the poverty rates among the tribal groups in rural and urban

areas for all the states in India for 1991. The human poverty index is constructed by

taking a composite of variables that reflect the economic, educational, and health aspects

of human development (see table). From the table we can see (column 2) that Bihar ranks

very high in the poverty index, followed by Orissa, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya,

Assam, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. On the other hand, some of the relatively affluent

states are Kerala and Himachal Pradesh. The northeastern states of Meghalaya and

Nagaland exhibit a fairly high level of poverty while Mizoram falls somewhere in

between. Yet, the literacy rate among tribal women is highest in the state of Mizoram,

and the literacy rates among tribal women in Meghalaya and Nagaland are comparable to

those of Kerala and Himachal Pradesh.

“take in Table V”

If we attempt to correlate poverty with the dropout rates, we find that (tableV)

both Himachal Pradesh and Kerala rank very low in the human poverty index (8 and 4

respectively); however Uttar Pradesh and Nagaland rank relatively high in the poverty

index (26 and 22 respectively). Yet the dropout rate among girls in those two states is

much lower than some of the other states that are not so poor. The dropout rate among

15
both boys and girls in grades I-VIII is highest in the states of Andhra Pradesh in south

India, followed by Bihar in eastern India and Meghalaya in northeastern India. The

poverty indices for the above three states are 19, 32 (highest), and 28 respectively.

Although economic constraints hinder tribal girls from getting educated, cultural,

social, and family structures also contribute to the tremendous variations in the dropout

rates among different tribal groups. The northeastern states have maintained their

identity and culture and are shielded from the practices and norms of Hindu culture.

Many of the tribal groups in the Northeast are characterized by a matriarchal family

structure, and women play an important role in social and economic decisions. Girls are

valued in such societies and the relatively higher literacy rate, higher GER, and lower

dropout rate among the northeastern groups in general can be partly attributed to such

factors. Apart from the northeastern states, tribal literacy rate is high in the state of

Kerala in south India. The state of Kerala ranks the highest in India in the gender

development index and educational attainment of women and is considered to be a model

state. Although Scheduled Tribe women are disadvantaged economically in that state,

they are provided with the opportunities that are available to the general population.

V. Conclusion

Education is an important avenue for upgrading the economic and social

conditions of the Scheduled Tribe women. This study shows that generalizations

regarding the educational and literacy attainment of tribal women fail to capture the

differential human capital attainment of and obstacles to schooling faced by the various

tribes in India. Thus, a broad study encompassing the social, culture, and economic

16
conditions of the tribes along with their proximity and exposure to the mainstream Hindu

culture would, to a large degree, provide policymakers with a better understanding of the

heterogeneity among the tribes. This, in turn, would help in formulating appropriate

policies in different states and regions in India in order to facilitate higher learning among

the tribes.

17
 References

Census of India (1981)

Census of India (2001)

Colclough, C. (1982), “The Impact of Primary Schooling on Economic Development: A

Review of the Evidence,” World Development, Vol. 10 No.3, pp. 167-185.

Dreze, J. (2003), “Patterns of Literacy and their Social Context,” in Das V. et. al (ed).

The Oxford India Companion of Sociology and Social Anthropology, 2, Oxford

University Press. New Delhi.

Dreze, J., Sen A. (2002), India: Development and Participation, Oxford University Press,

New Delhi.

Jha, J., Jhingran, D. (2002), Elementary Education for the Poorest and Other Deprived

Groups, Centre for Policy Research. New Delhi.

Kingdon, G.G. (1999), “Gender Gap in India’s Schools: Is the Labour Market a

Factor?” Insights, Vol. 29.

Maharatna, A. (2005), “Demographics Perspectives on India’s Tribes,” Oxford

University Press.

Nambissan, G. (2000), “The Social Context of Learning and the Schooling of Dalit and

Tribal Children,” in Quality in Elementary Education. A Collection of Articles,

Whitefield, Bangalore.

Ramachandran, V. (2002), Gender and Social Equity. Hierarchies of Access, The

European Commission.

18
Sathar, Z.A., Lloyd, C.B. (1994), “Who Gets Primary Schooling in Pakistan:

Inequalities among and within Families,” The Pakistan Development Review, Vol. 33

No. 2, pp. 103-34.

Sengupta, P., J. Guha. (2002), “Enrolment, Dropout and Grade Completion of Girl

Children in West Bengal,” Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 37 No.17, pp. 1621-37.

Srivastava, R. (1997), “Reasons for Discontinuance of Primary Education among Tribals

of Assam,” Social Change, Vol. 27.

Vasavi, A.R. (2002), Caste, Class and School. Tanjavur, Local Education Report,

National Institute of Advanced Studies.

World Bank. (1997), Primary Education in India, Washington, DC.

Xaxa, V. (2005), “Politics of Language, Religion and Identity: Tribes in India,”

Economic and Political Weekly, March 26.

19
 Table 1: Literacy Trends for
Scheduled Tribes in India
(1961 to 1991)
(Figures in Percent)
Scheduled Tribes
Year
Male Female Total
1961 13.83 3.16 8.54
1971 17.63 4.85 11.39
1981 24.52 8.05 16.35
1991 40.65 18.19 29.60
2001 59.17 34.76 47.10

Source: National Commission for SCs & STs, Fifth Report

20
Table II: Urban & Rural Literacy rates of Scheduled Tribes by gender (2001)

State Male Female Male Female Male Female

Rural Urban Total
North-East
Mizoram 86.11 77.71 87.55 96.01 91.71 86.95
Nagaland 67.09 57.72 91.63 85.60 70.26 61.35
Meghalaya 58.72 53.97 88.95 84.58 63.49 59.20
East
Bihar 37.57 13.30 74.18 55.28 39.76 15.54
Orissa 50.35 22.07 69.80 45.77 51.48 23.37
West Bengal 56.60 27.88 68.57 48.20 57.38 29.15
Central
Madhya Pradesh 52.51 27.24 67.47 45.89 53.55 28.44
West
Gujarat 58.06 34.60 71.01 51.78 59.18 36.02
Maharashtra 64.52 39.88 82.98 64.70 67.02 43.08
Rajasthan 61.23 25.22 75.74 42.97 62.10 26.16
North
Uttar Pradesh 46.71 18.34 60.61 39.54 48.45 20.70
Himachal Pradesh 77.18 52.50 92.03 81.15 77.71 53.32
South
Andhra Pradesh 46.09 24.48 66.16 45.99 47.66 26.11
Kerala 70.20 57.28 84.96 77.70 70.78 58.11
Tamil Nadu 47.19 29.48 66.56 50.68 50.15 32.78
India 57.39 32.44 77.77 59.87 59.17 34.76
Source: Annual Report. Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India

21
Table III: Gross Enrollment Ratio for the Scheduled Tribe Population by Gender
(2002-2003)

States Gross Enrollment Ratio

Classes Classes
I-V VI-VIII
(6-11 years) (11-14 years)
Boys Girls Boys Girls
North East
Meghalaya 90.20 92.97 41.57 51.25
Mizoram 119.27 122.69 78.25 77.97
Nagaland 72.93 70.90 38.03 38.28
East
Bihar 59.60 32.54 18.56 8.53
Orissa 103.38 87.33 38.37 26.59
West
108.07 94.55 60.48 29.76
Bengal
Central
Madhya
91.93 71.77 41.65 24.57
Pradesh
West
Gujarat 111.59 107.87 67.82 58.18
Maharashtra 116.62 106.40 72.92 63.75
Rajasthan 18.72 106.39 64.80 31.79
North
Uttar
130.36 124.59 108.57 99.26
Pradesh
Himachal
126.51 122.14 100.62 75.92
Pradesh
South
Andhra
118.11 113.56 54.33 38.53
Pradesh
Kerala 112.94 107.71 84.62 80.77
Tamil Nadu 105.69 113.21 85.55 99.17
India 104.80 92.25 55.03 40.78

Source: Selected Educational Statistics 2002-03 (as on 30th September,

2002), Dept. of Secondary and Higher Education, Ministry of Human
Resource Development, Govt. of India.

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 Table IV: Drop out rates for Scheduled Tribes in India (2002-2003)

States Drop out rates

Classes Classes
I-V I-VIII

Boys Girls Boys Girls

Northeast
Meghalaya 61.42 59.29 81.11 80.30
Mizoram 55.90 54.90 59.89 56.34
Nagaland 37.38 37.01 42.81 44.19
East
Bihar 66.60 65.39 82.43 85.57
Orissa 58.03 53.50 77.45 79.12
West
53.70 59.26 60.73 42.42
Bengal
Central
Madhya
51.90 50.51 65.56 70.16
Pradesh
West
Gujarat 36.13 43.10 58.26 67.04
Maharashtra 28.79 40.23 61.03 66.43
Rajasthan 50.61 59.87 52.58 73.17
North
Uttar
31.19 30.02 36.97 36.45
Pradesh
Himachal
16.23 21.70 26.79 37.43
Pradesh
South
Andhra
63.29 68.71 78.59 84.34
Pradesh
Kerala 2.20 5.96 33.63 40.03
Tamil Nadu 27.24 21.01 56.98 54.36
India 50.82 52.10 66.86 71.17

Source: Selected Educational Statistics 2002-03 (as on 30th September, 2002), Dept.
of Secondary and Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development,
Govt. of India

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 Table V: State-wise Human Poverty Index
(Comparable with 1981, 1991)
State Combined for rural and urban areas
Value Rank
North East
Mizoram 32.2 14
Nagaland 42.07 22
Meghalaya 49.19 28
East
Bihar 52.34 32
Orissa 49.85 31
West Bengal 40.48 20
Central
Madhya Pradesh 43.47 23
West
Gujarat 29.46 13
Maharashtra 29.25 11
Rajasthan 46.67 25
North
Uttar Pradesh 48.27 26
Himachal Pradesh 26.21 8
South
Andhra Pradesh 39.78 19
Kerala 19.93 4
Tamil Nadu 29.28 12
India 39.36 -

Note: 1. The Human Poverty Index is a composite of variables capturing deprivation in three dimensions of human
development viz, economic, educational and health. These have been captured by proportion of population below
poverty line, proportion of population without access to safe drinking water/ sanitation electricity, medical attention at
birth/vaccination and proportion living in Kutcha houses; proportion of illiterate population and children not
enrolled in schools; and proportion of population not accepted to survive beyond age 40.

Source: National Human Development Report 2001, Planning Commission, Govt. of India.

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